How To Recover From A Marathon - Tips & Secrets

Hey legend! 

What a weekend in NYC! Ice cubes dumped in bathtubs were at an all time high around Manhattan to help people's legs recover... or was that just me? Over 50,000 runners competed in the NYC Marathon during some incredibly tough conditions. It is at this point that I can not put a greater emphasis on hydration and nutrition strategy. This years NYC marathon set record temperatures hitting 75 degrees F (24 C) a stark contrast to the typical 48 F (8 C) we get in the first week of November. But what did this mean for the runners themselves other than the early onset of sweat we faced before even getting over from Staten Island (for those who dont know that is the first 2km of the course)? 

This year runner's experienced more DNFs and tougher opportunities to hit their PBs... but why?  2% is all it takes. Once your overall hydration drops below this figure you are in a state of dehydration, so taking the controllable steps before the event can pay massive dividends. Even established runners in this years NYC marathon were not expecting the huge difference in heat and humidity. This left many not accounting for the increase hydration and additional sodium needs. 

Fun fact: Dehydration causes your overall blood volume to drop. This in turn makes it harder for your body to pass heat and cool down. As a result, your heart beats faster, making it harder for you to meet your aerobic demand.

Keep reading for my Marathon recovery secrets 👇🏼 

🍳 What’s Sizzling This Week

Is TikTok Causing harmful Diet Culture? 

Recent studies show that on TikTok, nutrition "influencers" have been overpowering professionals with simplified messaging that harms more than it hurts. Some influencers have been using weight loss as a way to market their content saying things like "I lost 15 pounds super easy and you can too!" This type of "hook" is a strategy to play on people's emotions and insecurities to capture views. Team, the truth is, loosing and gaining weight is a natural process and to do it in a way that facilitates your goals and is healthy, is challenging. It takes clear science and a combination of training and proper nutrition. Anyone who tells you its "super easy" and can be done by eating just a couple of foods is a RED FLAG. Food should be enjoyed. It needs to taste epic, make you smile, and help you preform your best.  I will say there are some incredible stories told through Tiktok. They can inspire you which is epic, just be mindful of the advice they are providing. After all you know your body better than anyone.

Another study on processed foods and Obesity This one may come as a shock (yes sarcasm) but there is another study out there indicating the negative effects processed foods have on obesity (This is where I cue the "I told you so" speech :) ). A study performed in Australia demonstrated there is growing evidence for higher rates of obesity with the consumption of refined sugars and processed foods. Whilst this is nothing we have not heard before the study that turns out to be a pretty good read... they drop notes around "protein hunger" you can read more here. It is also an Australian study so there is definitely bias involved.

Labeling Exercise Calories on food, is that a vibe? 

There are some new proposed laws indicating food products should include the amount of exercise it takes to burn off the contained calories. What do we think of this? Whilst I like the intent, it will be a hard measure to be consistent witch each individual. After all, everyone has varying BMRs (Basal Metabolic Rates- rate at which your metabolism is burning at rest, it can account for 60-65% of your overall daily energy expenditure) and we use energy at varying rates as well. So whilst we can put a figure to a product with a generalist view on what it would take to burn that product off, it wont be entirely accurate for you, as all of our bodies work in unique and special ways. So whilst if I run for an hour and burn 500 calories, you may be able to do that in half the time. So this does not pass as a vibe, it is this approach that can lead to obsessive disorders with numbers, exercise and body image. We should focus more on the positive and negative impacts that food has on us as opposed to relating to the way we can burn off its consumption.. 

👨🏻‍💻 Performance Chat 

Ok so here are my tips on what to eat and drink AFTER the marathon. (if you missed out on what to have BEFORE the marathon, head to and you can read the archive version of The Epic News 

• Hydrate... yep if you thought you were done sucking back all that fluid, you are mistaken. You are in recovery mode and hydration will do wonders in supporting blood plasma volume and blood flow. Water here is key drinking 1/3-1/2 of your body weight in oz per day. Eg. if I way 170lb i want to target roughly between 55-85oz of water per day

• Ice bath: if you can get yourself to hot and cold therapy this process of flushing will work wonders. By going between a hot and cold environment you support lymphatic drainage. We will dive deeper into hot and cold therapy, just note this is a win. If you do not have access to a facility I have been dumping ice in my bath tub :)

• Move: yes after doing so much movement on the weekend and in the lead up to the race itself through training you may want to do nothing but sit on the couch, watch your favorite streaming service and have a cold one. But, the more you actively move, take the dog for a walk, etc, this will support blood flow and rid the body of some of those built up stiff areas.

• Eat right: your body is working in overdrive to support your efforts, this means you need to give your epic engine the proper fuel. While you may just want to be slamming calories after all your effort, proper nutrition is key. Lower the amount of carbs you were having before the race by 10-15%, while maintaining the quality fats and veggies. Your body's immune system is also suppressed so be sure to look after your immune system, I actually double my doses on Athletic Greens (you can get the years free Vitamin D3 dropper using my link here).

 🗣 From me to you

I hope you all enjoyed this issue of the Epic Table News! Writing these newsletter is one of my favorite ways to connect with you legends and I truly hope you are having as much fun reading them as I am writing them. 

If you are finding value in this newsletter, please share it with your mates! Not only will you help them improve their performance, but you can win some epic goodies (see below)

Cheers team 

• DC xoxo

Refer The Epic News for Epic Wins!

Recipe to leave you with

After clocking those brutal, well earned miles over the weekend, this creamy Kitchen Sink pasta with tofu is a perfect recipe to help your body recover!  

Dan Churchill's Healthy Recipes

Ingredients 

• 1 pack penne

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 3 cups of any vegetable leftovers

• ½ block silken or firm tofu

• 1 lemon

• Salt

• Pepper